Barb-fence machine



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BARB FENCE MACHINE.

No. 291,902. Patentd Jan. 15, 18 4,.

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0.0.- HILL. BARB FENCE MACHINE.

Patented Jan. 15, 1884.

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BARB FENCE MAUHINE.

No. 29L,902. Patented Jan. 15, 1884.

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rates Nrreo ATENT BARB-FENCE MACHINE.

82E JIFIGATIOII forming part of Letters Patent No. 291,902, datedJanuary 15, 1884,

Application filed June 18, 1883.

(No model.)

. citizen of the United States, residing in Chicago, in the county ofCook and State of. Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Barb-Fence Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in ma chines for applying barbs tofence-wire.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine of simple anddurable construction, which will apply barbs to fence-wires with muchgreater rapidity and facility than machines heretofore commonly in use.

In barbed-fence machines heretofore in use the fence-wires and thebarb-wire have generally, one or both, been fed intermittently throughthe machine, and the barb-applying device and other moving parts of themachine have been given a variety of stop motions, reciprocations,oscillations, &c., by means of cams and other devices, so thatordinarily such machines have been very liable to get out of order orrepair, and have not been capable of being run at a high rate of speed.In the present invention both the barb-wire and the fence-wires arepassed through or fed to the machine continuously from their appropriatereels or spools, and all the barb-applying de vices and moving parts ofthe machine have a simple continuous rotary motion without any stops orinterruptions. It will readily be understood, therefore, thatabarb-fence machine constructed in accordance with my invention may berun at very high speed and be made to apply the barbs with very greatfacility. I11

my invention the fence-wires are carried over a continuously-revolvingwheel or drum located. between the delivery and receiving spools orreels for said wires, and the barbwire is fed continuously transverselyacross the face or periphery of said revolving drum and the fence wiresthereon. A series of knives fixed in the periphery of said drum, at ornear one edge thereof, opposing themselves to a stationary tangentialknife fixed in the framework of the machine, severs the barb as the drumrevolves into the length necessary to form the barbs. The knives are soset as to sever the barb-wire on a diagonal cut, and thus point'thebarbs. Each barb as it is severed drops or is forced into one of aseries of transverse grooves or holding devices in the pe riphery of thedrum, wherein the barb is held and carried on the drum while thebarb-applying devices are affixing it to the fencewires. Thebarb-applying devices consist of rotary tools journaled inside oroutside the drum, 'and operating on the barb through suitable slots inthe drum.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification, Ihave shown a machine embodying my invention which is particularlyadapted to apply the particular form of barb shown in Fi 6 of saiddrawings-that is to say, a barb having a C-shaped loop at its middleportion, the twisted fence-wires being embraced between said loop andthe points of the barb.

I11 said drawings, Figure 1 is an end View of the machine. Fig. 2 is avertical longitudinal section, partly in elevation. Fig. 3 is anenlarged detail sectional view of the twisting device. Fig. 4 is anenlarged detail sectional view of the drum and barb-applying devices.Fig. 5 is a detail radial section of same; and Fig. 5 is a similar view,showing the rotary tool partially receded from the re oess between thechucks. Fig. 6 is a view of the completed barbience wire which the machine shown in the drawings is designed to make. Fig. 7 is a view ofsame before the fence-wires aretwisted together. Figs. 8, 9, 10, andllare views of the barb in the successive stages of its formation andapplication to the fence-wires. Fig. 12 is an enlarged detailperspective View of the steel plate or block inserted in the drum, so asto form part of its periphery, and in which the transverse grooves forcarrying the barbs are cut; and Figs. 13 and 14 are respectivelyenlarged detail end and side views of one of the rotary tools.

As the barb is severed, as shown in Fig. 8, it falls or is caught in oneof the series of transverse grooves in the periphery of the drum, beingforced or guided into said groove by a pair of concave cheeks outsidethe drum and concentric therewith, fixed to the stationary fraine of themachine. The lower extremity of the concave cheeks, where the barb isfed across the drum, is slightly beveled or rounded off, so as to crowdthe barb toward the drum, when it is caught by the back edge or wall ofthe transverse groove on the pcriphery of the drum, the back edge of thetransverse groove being higher than the front edge, or projecting outfarther on the periphery, so as to catch the barb in the groove as thedrum revolves the instant the barb is severed from the wire by theknives; and at thev same time one of a series of revolving tools orformers journaled inside the hollow drum 011 fixed bearings, projectingthrough one of a series of slots in said drum, forces the middle portionof the barb between the stationary concave cheeks outside the drum, thusgiving the barb the form shown in Fig. 9. The retary tool or formerdescribes a circle much less in diameter than that of the drum, so thatthe tool after it passes the common radial line willreeede from the drumand the barb thereon as the tool and drum continue to revolve. After thetool has receded from the barb sufficiently to allow the extreme part ofthe bend thus formed in the barb to be bent again at right angles to theplane of said bend, the revolving tool, opposing itselfto a stationarytool projecting from between the concave cheeks, bends the barb into theform shown in Fig. 10. The rotary tool is geared, so that its surfacespeed is about the same as that of the drum or the barb carried thereon.The fence-wires lie on the drum on each side of the bend formed in themiddle portion of the barb, which bend projects between the fence-wires,and as the drum continues to revolve the fence-wires are crowded nearertogether on the surface of the drum by means of a pair of small rollersgrooved to fit the wires journaled on the frame-work of the machine,thus bending the barb into the form shown in Fig. 11. As the drumcontinues to revolve, a pair of rotary swages or tools, one journaledinside and one outside the drum, projecting through the slot in thedrum, and opposing each other, force the bent middle portion of the barbdown fiat upon the fencewires, as shown in Fig. -7. The two fence wiresare then twisted together by the twisting device, thus giving the barbthe formshown in Fig. 6, and securely affixing the wires in the oppositeshoulders or notches formed by the C-shaped loop and the endsof thebarb. The twisting and spooling device is suspended in a verticalposition from a ball-and-soeket joint, the lower end of the frame beingloose or unconfined, so that the revolvingspool and frame may alwaysinstantly adjust itself to its center of gravity or rotation as the samechanges from the changing shape and size of the growing spool of wire.The twistingframe may therefore be revolved at a very high speed withoutany danger or injury or causing any vibration.

In the drawings, A represents the :frame of the machine, and B is therevolving drum or wheel fixed to a shaft, B,-suitably journaled in saidframe. The fence-wires a a pass from their delivery-spools parallel toeach other over a grooved guide-pulley, a and thence side by side overthe drum B to the wire pulley at at the month of the twisting device.The drum B is provided with a series of slots, 1), through its rim.These slots are equidistant apart, and may preferably be in the centralportion of the rim. In the rim of the wheel B, near one edge thereof,are fixed rigidly a series of knives, b, for severing, in connectionwith the opposing stationary knife b, the barb from the barb-wire as thewheel B revolves. b represents a series of transverse grooves in theperiphery of the wheel or drum B, extending centrally across the slotsb. The barb-wire c, from which the barbs are cut, is fed continuouslytransversely across the periphery of the wheel B, immediately under thestationary knife b", by means of a pair of constantly-revolvingfeed-rolls or other suitable mechanism. The knives b and b have theirenttingedges set to sever the barbs from the barb-wire on a diagonalcut. The rimofthe wheel B should preferably be about as wide as thesevered barb-pieces are long.

D and D are a pair of parallel concave cheeks or flanges concentric withthe drum B, and fixed rigidly to a bracket, D which is secured bysuitable bolts to the frame of the machine. As the barb 0 is severed bythe knives b b from the barb-wire c, it is forced or guided by theconcave cheeks'D Dinto one of the transverse grooves b in the peripheryof the drum as the drum revolves, and there retained by said concavechecks until the barb is partially formed, as hereinafterexplained. Theconcave cheeks D D have their faces slightly inclined or beveled towardthe drum at the point where the barb-wire isfed across, soas to guidethe barb into the transverse groove in the drum as the barb is caught bythe projecting back edge or wall, b, of the groove'b", which is somewhathigher than the front edge of said groove.

d d are a series of revolving tools fixed rigidly in the periphery of awheel, d, fixed to a shaft, d, which is journaled on the frame of themachine, inside the peripheral line of the drum or wheel B, so that thebarb formers or tools d d may project through the slot 12 in the drum Bas the drum and tools revolve around their respective centers. As thebarb is severed from the barb-wire, one of the revolving tools d,projecting through the slot 'b, forces the middle portion of the barb'be-. tween theeheeks D D, thus bending it into the form shown in Fig.9. The tools dd have longitudinal grooves in their opposite edges orfaces for the barb-wire, into which grooves the bent middle portion ofthe barb, as shown in Fig. 9, rests, and is held. The bend in the barb(shown in Fig. 9) is completed when the revolving tool (1 reaches in itsrevolution the common radial line passing through the centers of theshafts d and the shaft B of the drum. After passing this point, the toolbegins to recede from the recesses between the concave cheeks D D.

Fixed'in the bracket D and projecting'be tween the cheeks D and D, is atool, (1 which IIO 29:,902 I It serves to bend the fold already formedin the barb at right angles to its plane, as the revolving tool (I andthe drum continue their revolutions past this projecting tool The formgiven the barb by this operationis shown in Fig. 10 in perspective. Theposition of the barb and of the tool (I at the time or just before thesecond bend is formed is shown in Fig. 5". \Vhen the projecting portionof the barb, as shown in Fig. 5, strikes the stationary tool (1 thelongitudinal or radial grooves in the tool cl serve to hold the barbwhile the projecting portion is bent down at right angles across the endof the tool (1. After the barb is carried by the revolution of the drumpast the concave cheeks D D, the fence-wires f 1 a a lying on the drumwill serve to retain the barb in position in its transverse groove. Thebend formed in the middle portion of thebarb projects up between thefence-wires, which lie side by side on the smooth surface of the drum.

E and E are a pair of small rolls, having their peripheries grooved tofit the wires to a, located tangentially to the drum B, and journaled ona crossbar, E secured to the frame of the machine. The purpose of theserolls is to crowd the two fence-wires nearer together as the drumrevolves, and thereby force the barb into the form shown in Fig. 11.

e e are guides projecting between the fencewires from the centralportion of the periphcry of the drum, to keep the fence-wires apart, andto regulate the action of the rolls E and E in crowding the fence-wirestogether. The projecting guides 6 also serve as supports for the bentmiddle portion ofthe barbs, as shown in Fig. 10, to rest against, andthus prevent the barbs from slipping back as the fencewires are crowdedtogether by the rolls E and E. For convenience of construction theprojection e and the transverse grooves b can best be made, as shown inFig. 12, in asingle steel block or dovetail piece, 1 secured in asuitable dovetail slot or mortise in the face of the drum, so that thepiece 3 will be flush with the periphery of the drum or form partthereof. Part of the slot b will of course appear in this dovetailpiece.

H H represent a series of revolving swages or tools secured in theperiphery of a wheel, H, secured to a shaft, 11*, which is journaled insuitable'bearings on the frame of the machine, so as to project insidethe drum B and h h are a series of similar revolving swages or toolsfixed in a wheel, h, secured to a shaft, h, which is j ournaled outsideof the drum B in suitable bearings 011 the framework of the machine. Asthe drum B continues its revolution, the harb, as shownin Fig. 11, iscarried between a pair of these revolving tools H h, and the loop orbent middle portion of the barb is thereby swaged or pressed down fiatupon the fence-wires, as shown in Fig. 7.

F represents the drive-wheel of the machine on the shaft F. Therevolving tools h h are driven from shaft F by means of gears f, meshingwith gear f on shaft f and bev eled gear f 3 on said shaft, whichmesheswith beveled gear f on shaft h to which the toolwheel is secured. Therevolving tools H and d are operated from the shaft h by intermeshinggears I I 1' I on the shafts h", H, d", and

1*, respectively. The drum B is operated from the shaft F by means ofthe worm J on said shaft meshing with the worm-wheel J on the drum-shaftB. barb-wire are revolved by means of the beveled gear {1 on thefeed-roll shaft meshing with the beveled gear on the vertical shaftwhich is operated from the driving-shaft F by means of the intermcshinggears g and I l The checks or liangesD and I) are secured in position bybolts passing through slots in the same, so that they may be adjusted todifferent The feed-rolls O for the I distances apart, as may be desired.The knives I) are adj ustably secured by suitable keys or. screws inradial slots or grooves in the wheel B, and the stationary knife b isalso secured adjustably by suitable keys in a slot in the bracket D".The fence-wires, with the barbs secured thereon, as shown in Fig. 7,pass from the wire-pulley a, through the hollow shaft (0, to the spoolK, which is mounted in the twisting-frame M. A The twisting-frame M- issupported and suspended from a ball, N, which rests in a ball-socket, N,secured to the bracket N", which is fixed to the frame A by suitablebolts. The frame M is secured rigidly to a hollow sleeve, N which inturn is fixed rigidly to the ball N, and frame M thus secured to it isrevolved by means of a pulley, N, which is fixed to the ball N bysuitable screws or bolts. The lower end of the frame has no hearing, butis provided with a short shaft, m, having a friction-pulley, m, thereon,which is loosely confined in a large shell or cup, m the shell or cupbeing large enough to permit the lower end of the frame to vibrate ormove sufficiently to bring the center of gravity or rotation of theframe and the spool by means of the bevel-gear n on the spoolshaft nmeshing with the bevel-gear a on the end of the jointed shaft at, whichshaft is driven from the hollow shaft (0 by the intermeshing gears a andn The hollow shaft a is held stationary, so as to drive the spool-shaftby means of a friction-pulley, aflsecured to said shaft, and ai'rictionclamp, a". The friction-clamp a" is supported by the sleeve a,or the pulley aflsecured thereto, and is prevented from rotating withsaid pulley by an arm or projection, which comes in contact with thestandard 0. The frictionrlamp a is pressed against the friction-pulleyby a screw-bolt furnished with a hand-wheel or other suitable means, sothat the pulley may revolve when the tension on the wire is too, great.The

wire-pu1ley" a at the top or mouth of the twisting device is mounted ona bracket, 0, and is provided with a number of small curved arms, 0,extending out from the rim of the wheel on one side thereof, so as toform a proper support for the parallel fence-wires as they come from themachine, and not disarrange or alter the position of the barbs thereonbefore the same are immovably fixed by the twisting of the wirestogether.

The particular device for twisting the fencewires together and spoolingthe cable herein shown is of my invention, but is not herein claimed,and the same is hereby expressly reserved as the subjeetmatter of aseparate application, as is also the particular form of barbed wireherein shown, the great advantage of which consists in its adaptabilityto be manufactured with very great rapidity, and by simple andcontinuously positively-moving machinery.

I claim 1. The combination, with mechanism for feeding the fence-wirescontinuously, ofmechanisin for feeding the barb-wire continuously, acontinuouslyrevolving drum or wheel provided with a series of slotsthrough its rim, mechanism for severing the barb-wire, and rotarydevices, operating through slots in the drum, for applying and formingthe barb journaled on the frame of the machine and projecting inside ofthe revolving drum, and conjointly operating stationary barb-formingdevices secured to the frame outside of said drum, substantially asspecified.

2; The combination, with a continuouslyrevolving drum provided withslots through its rim, of barb-forming tools or devices located insidesaid drum, and barbfor1ning devices located outside said (lrum,substantially as specified.

3. The combination, with a revolving drum for carrying and supportingthe fcnce-wires, provided with grooves or devices for carrying andsupporting the barbs while they are being applied,andwith slots oropenings through which the barb may be operated upon by tools inside oroutside of the drum, and barb forming and applying tools located insideand outside of said drum, substantially as specified. 4. Thecombination, with the revolving drum provided with slots or openingsthrough its rim, of a series of knives fixed in its periphery, anopposing-knife mounted on the frame of the machine, concave flanges orcheeks secured to the frame of the machine, revolving tools j ournaledon the frame of the machine and projecting inside said drum to force themiddle portion of the barb between said cheeks, a tool projecting frombetween said checks to again bend the barb, a pair of rolls settangentially to said drum to force the fence-wires together and furtherform the barb, opposing revolving tools journaled on the frame of themachine inside and outside said drum to press the bent or loop portionof the barb fiat upon the wires, and a device for twisting'thefence-wires together, to fix the same securely in the opposite notchesor shoulders formed by-the loop and the ends of the barb, substantiallyas specified.

5. The combination,with mechanism for continuously feeding thefence-wires and barb wire, of mechanism for severing the barb-wi re, anda revolving wheel or drum provided with devices for carrying the barbsalong with the fence-wires while the barbs are being formed and applied,and barb applying devices mounted on the frame of the machine, adaptedto operate upon the barb as the revolving drum brings the barb incontact therewith, substantially as specified.

6. The combination of a revolving drum or wheel carrying the fence-wireand the severed barbs, and of devices mounted on the frame of themachine for applying the barbs to the fencewire as the drum revolves,substantially as specified.

7. The combination of a revolving drum or wheel carrying the fence-wiresand barbs, of a stationary knife and a series of knives fixed in saiddrum or wheel for cutting off the barbs from the barb-wire as the drumor wheel revolves, and of devices mounted on theframe of the ma chinefor applying the barbs to the fen cewire as the drum or wheel revolves,substantially as specified.

8. The combination, with a slotted wheel rotating continuouslyin thedirection of the feed of the fence-wires and carrying said wirescontinuously forward, of a series of knives secured at the rim of saidwheel, and an opposing-knife on the frame of the machine for cutting offthe barb-wire, and a revolving tool journaled on the frame of themachine and projecting into said wheel, and opposing cheeks fixed to theframe of the machine outside said wheel, said revolving tool operatingon the barb through openings in the rim of said wheel, substantially asspecified.

9. The combination, with a wheel having a slotted rim rotatingcontinuously in the direction of the feed of the fence-wires andcarrying said wires, of devices for forming or applying the barb to thefence-wires located inside and outside of said rim and conjointlyoperating upon the barbs through the slots or openings in said rim,substantially as specified.

10. The combination, with a wheel having openings in its rim andcarrying the fencewires, of a pair of revolving barb forming or applyingtools j ournaled on the frame of the machine, one inside and one outsidethe pe ripheralline of said rim, substantially as specified. H

11. The combination of a slotted wheel or drum for carrying thefence-wires, and provided with transverse grooves or devices on itsperiphery for carrying the barbs along with the fence-wires,opposing-knives mounted in the revolving wheel, and the stationary framefor cutting off the barbs, revolving tools or de vices journaled on theframe of the machine and projecting inside said rim, and stationarydevices outside said rim for bending and forming the barbs, tangentialrollers or devices for crowding the fence-wires together and furtherforming the barbs, and revolving tools journaled inside and outside saidrim to further form and secure the barbs, and mechanism for continuouslydriving said revolving wheel and revolving tools, substantially asspecified.

12. The combination, with the revolving wheel or drum carrying the fencewires and barbs, of devices for crowding the fencewires together on theperiphery of the rim as the wheel or drum revolves, and thus applying orpartly applying the barbs to the fence-wires, substantially asspecified.

13. The combination,with a wheel or drum carrying the fence-wire thereoncontinuously forward, continuously-revolving knives, and anopposing-knife for severing the barb in equal barb-lengths as saidbarb-wire is fed continuously thereto, and barb applying and formingdevices consisting of continuously-revolving and stationary parts, sothat all the moving parts of the machine may have a simple continuousrotary motion and be adapted to gun at high speed, substantially asspecifie 14. The combination,with a slotted wheel or drum havingtransverse grooves across said slots, and provided with a series ofknives fixed in its rim, of a stationary knife for cutting off thebarbs, concave cheeks or guards for forcing or guiding the barbs intosaid transverse grooves, and barb forming and applying mechanism locatedpart inside and part outside said drum and conjointly operating to bendand form the barb, substantially as specifled.

15. The combination of the revolving wheel carrying the fence-wires onits periphery, of grooved rollers journaled on the frame of the machinetangentially to said wheel for forcing the fence-wires togetherjandprojecting guides to support the barbs and to regulate the action ofsaid rollers in forming the barb, substantially as specified.

16. In a barb-fence machine, the continuous revolving wheel for carryingthe fence-wires and barbs while the barbs are being applied, incombination with mechanism for forming and applying the barbs mounted onthe frame of the machine, substantially as specified.

CHRISTIAN O. HILL.

Witnesses:

EDMUND ADcocK, T. EVERETT BROWN.

